Go Away With ... RuPaul

"New Yorkers dress really well, moreso than any place else in the United States," RuPaul says.

"New Yorkers dress really well, moreso than any place else in the United States," RuPaul says. (Mathu Andersen photo)

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content AgencyCelebrity Travel by Jae-Ha Kim

Born in San Diego, Calif., RuPaul enjoys the California lifestyle. "I'm always surprised at the number of people in Los Angeles who don't like to venture outside of L.A. or San Diego or San Francisco," says the 53-year-old host and star of Logo TV's "RuPaul's Drag Race" and its companion series, "RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked." "There so much right in our backyard! I always tell people to visit what the region has to offer!" Some of the celebrity guest judges on "Drag Race" include Neil Patrick Harris, Paula Abdul and Adam Lambert. Fans may follow RuPaul on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RuPaul.

Q. What is your favorite weekend getaway?

A. I love Catalina Island here in California. It's easy for me to get away to there because it's just a short trek away. The last time I was there, we rented a taxi. It was an open-air Jeep and we asked the driver to just take us all over the island. It was fantastic! Hiking in the mountains is so much fun, and there's great food and so much to do and see.

Q. What is your favorite destination?

A. Believe it or not, I love to go to Vegas.

Q. Vegas? I had heard you don't like to gamble.

A. I don't gamble! I like to go shopping! (Laughs) I like to stay at the Mandarin Oriental. It feels so decadent to be at the shops in Vegas. The only destination is the Crystals shopping center, right next to the Mandarin. It's lovely and I think this shopping center has the most upscale shopping in the world. You don't get that on Rodeo Drive or Madison Avenue. It's fabulous. We'll plan a trip there to go shopping, see some shows and dine out in fantastic restaurants. It really is a lot of fun.

Q. What were your family vacations like as a child?

A. Well, my father was a gambler. We lived in San Diego at the time. He'd take us down to the race tracks. He'd take us to Tijuana. I would've preferred to do something else at the time. But looking back, they were good memories. My sister and I must've collected all the old ticket stubs that no one won and were thrown away on the ground. I don't remember doing that and bringing them home, but I had some.

Q. Where can you travel to where you don't feel obligated to dress up?

A. If I dress down and just wear very basic clothes, people won't recognize me. But the thing is, I like to dress like a star! There's a quote from Joan Crawford: "If you want to see the girl next door, go next door." When I walk out of the house or hotel, I dress like Joan Crawford, movie star. I like to honor people and the fans by looking good. Sometimes, I'll change clothes three or four times a day. Here in Hollywood, there are cameras everywhere and I'd rather not have pictures of me wearing sweatpants show up. It's so easy for a man to look chic with just a little effort. I'll just throw on a suit jacket, some nice pants and a pair of gorgeous loafers. I always tell people that there's a fashionista in everyone.

Q. How much of the United States have you visited?

A. I've traveled all around the U.S. for almost 40 years now. When I was a teen, I used to drive cross-country all the time for my brother-in-law's car brokerage company. I probably drove cross-country more than 50 times. It was so much fun. This country is so beautiful -- really gorgeous. And it made me happy to see that, generally speaking, Americans are a really lovely people -- sweet and open.

Q. What untapped destination should people know about?

A. Well, my partner has a ranch in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming, and it is so beautiful out there. You literally feel like you're at home on the range where the antelopes roam. It actually looks like Africa. I think a lot of people would love it if they visited.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. To get back to the cross-country trips. I would get a gorgeous, luxurious bus and travel around the U.S. That would be fun. I'd stop often to go shopping. I love thrifting and antiquing.

Q. What are some places you've visited that were memorable?

A. I remember San Antonio, Texas, had some fantastic restaurants. There were little pockets throughout the South that were great -- they almost seemed like they were from a different time. And Palm Springs. I love to do a quick day trip to Palm Springs from Los Angeles.

Q. Who are the best-dressed people?

A. New Yorkers dress really well, moreso than any place else in the United States. Californians are casual. We went to a black-tie event in Los Angeles the other day, and the question was: "Can you get away with something other than actual black tie?" In California, the answer is yes, you can!

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A. Of course, used CD stores seem like a thing of the past now, but if there's a store to be found, I'll be there checking it out. It's almost like an archaeological dig to see what music people discarded or sold. I still have a CD collection. That was the one thing you could count on me to do no matter what city I was in.

(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at http://www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)